The Grammys vs The Oscars : How We Reward Art

I don’t like awards shows - or so I say, at least. When I think about awards, the first one that comes to mind are the Oscars, and I do in fact dislike the Oscars, but if I think about the Grammys, all of a sudden I absolutely love awards shows. I’ve been watching clips from from this year's Grammys even though they're "old news" now... And yet I fell asleep halfway through the Oscars and just checked the winners the next day. So what gives? How can one ceremony be so good while the other is so… Meh?

Well here’s my theory : it comes down to a fundamental difference in how each show chooses to reward art.

The difference is obvious even before each show starts when you see the looks on the red carpet. Don’t get me wrong, everyone at the Oscars looked great, but they looked pretty blandly great. Sure, a few looks might be a bit more expressive than the rest - Cynthia Erivo’s dress comes to mind - but there’s nothing that makes you think wow, now that’s an outfit. The Grammys, though? People aren’t wearing outfits, they’re wearing LOOKS. Chappell Roan is the most obvious example, but I loved Doechii’s dress as well, and while I didn’t like Jaden Smith’s castle-head-thing it’s at least a choice worth talking about.

If you don’t see where I’m going with this yet, it comes down to this : the Oscars are all about prestige and class while the Grammys focus on artistry and fun… And one of those is much more fun to watch and engage with.

Even in the acceptance speeches, the difference is so obvious. The Oscars used to have huge political moments like Sacheen Littlefeather's acceptance speech... But this year they were oddly quiet about the clusterfuck that is American politics right now. The Grammys winners, on the other hand, were more than happy to engage with issues like DEI, fair pay, and queer rights. I don’t know about you, but the way I see it, an artist who generically thanks the people they worked with without talking about the greater struggles that motivate them isn't making a statement, they’re managing work relationships.

Beyond just the celebrities, though, the ceremonies themselves are fundamentally different - just looking at the most anticipated awards tells you a lot. For the Oscars, it’s all about who gets Best Picture, and the nominees are almost all expertly designed to win by established directors and studios. The Grammys have similar awards, of course, but one of the biggest categories is Best New Artist. They’re actively seeking out and rewarding not just talent but distinct voices that are shaking things up.

Looking at the contrast between the two ceremonies this year, it feels like the Oscars is almost actively opposed to shaking things up. Last year’s “I’m Just Ken” was so iconic and fun, but this year they cut a lot of the performances. The standout moment for me was the Bond tribute but… Look, I love RAYE and Doja Cat, Lisa is fine too, but how bland. A tribute to a franchise from sixty years ago with little relevance to the past year? Everything is about legacy…

God, why couldn’t they just let RAYE sing “Oscar Winning Tears”... It would have been such a moment...

And look, I get it to a certain extent. It’s hard to be the Oscars. When it takes so much time and money to produce just one piece, of course you’re going to want to reward “quality”, even at the cost of artistry. Hell, with the nubmer of people involved in each project, it can even be hard to identify clear artistic voices and visions (though not impossible - Wes Anderson is an obvious example). But the reality is, the exact people who are most passionate about art these days aren’t exactly fans of elitism, and judging art based on “quality” feels pretty damn elitist.

Not to mention that culture is going faster than ever these days - if you want to stay relevant, you need to actually have something interesting happen. The Oscars, unfortunately, largely don’t anymore.

Really, though, what’s most important is that we badly need artistry right now. The way the world is going is proof enough of that. Art inspires us, it allows us to share in the sorrows and joys of experiences we’ll never have and people we’ll never know. Having good taste isn’t going to save us. Passion and empathy, though, might just be able to.

It’s hard to say how to fix the Oscars at this point, but letting artists be artists and have fun would be a good start. Even better would be introducing a category for overlooked films or interesting new voices - that would keep at least my attention a little longer. As it stands, though, film feels like it’s being left behind. It’s often too slow, too bland, and too self-important, and I say that as someone who loves cinema. It doesn't have to be this way, though - after all, it didn't use to be. All it would take is a little less focus on pride and profit… But who am I kidding, that’s a ridiculous thing to expect these days.

Oh well. At least I have the Grammys.